It’s exactly what Alice says it is, unintentional self-destruction. Mendes/Haythe shows her calling; Yates doesn’t. It left me thinking anyway……. Yates seems to offer both possibilities side by side. She clearly isn’t going to abort the baby and stay with Frank. I also happened upon this discussion because the movie did not answer my question as to wheather April died or simply recovered and left Frank with the kids. -- John Lennon "Revolutionary Road" shows the American Dream awakened by a nightmare. I actually think she decided she wanted to live when she made the 911 call. When she saw that it was not possible because her husband betrayed her, their plan. This is an unabridged version of one of the first fictional accounts of extraterrestrial invasion. H. G. Wells's military science fiction novel was first published in book form in 1898, and is considered a classic of English literature. From there, their relationship continued to grow. Perhaps what is wrong with April is Frank. But he confirms her fears–this is the life Frank wants. Leo draws a computer on a napkin as he explains how he’s going to sell them. Found insideBoth highly suspenseful and existential, The Committed is a blistering portrayal of commitment and betrayal that will cement Viet Thanh Nguyenâs position in the firmament of American letters. http://www.amazon.com/Dom-Casmurro-Novel-FSG-Classics/dp/0374523037. She knows that this is dangerous and that her husband vehemently disapproved of her doing this after he discovered the apparatus that she was intending to use. This blog is about the novel and they are very different – not so much in terms of what happens but in terms of how you interpret both character and event. One small scene I didn't quite understand. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. If you, for example, are watching this next to your mom in suburban Chicago in the middle of a gigantic multilevel movie theater inside a shopping mall in the mid-aughts, you begin to feel the stirrings of a panic attack. A new stand-alone special featuring the original cast. Her interest in his working day is a manifestation of that – placing the emphasis anywhere but on them. I know that sounds harsh but I’m not interested in the movie version at all: it’s an interpretation of Yates’ work. No. You are welcome Kate. A young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children. I got on this site because I actually wanted to find out what made April so angry so I was researching it when I found these comments. “What about the Wheelers?” he asks. French and Indian War (also called Seven Years War); 1765. My own take is that April was determined not to have the baby and knew the risk. Hello. . I think it’s clear that there’s something wrong with April. I haven’t seen the movie but I wanted to see it. Revolutionary Road - Dinner scene where Michael Shannon showcases his incredible acting ability. Her death was an unintended consequence. Overall, I think some might find this film dramatic, but with the combined . A trio of classic works from a master American novelist features the author's first novel, Revolutionary Road, the story of a disintegrating marriage; The Easter Parade, about two sisters whose parents' divorce affects their entire lives; ... My mom comes into the bathroom and laughs. Directed by Sam Mendes. A show-stopping Leonardo DiCaprio becomes Frank Wheeler, with remarkable power and an insight we only get from the greatest kind of actors. BUT I urge you to read the book. And they could have happy together in Paris. She no longer wanted to or could live a life of lies. Quills (2000) [Madeleine LeClerc]: Stabbed in the chest (off-screen) with scissors by Stephen Marcus in the asylum; her body is shown afterwards when Joaquin Phoenix and Billie Whitelaw discover her in a laundry vat. Kate tells Leo he’s a “pathetic, self-deluded little boy” who “has me in a trap”; Leo calls her “sick”; she calls him “disgusting.” He punches their car on the head. (and potentially Millie or her kids from discovering her cold bloody body, not to mention the unborn child)..or was it a last minute wave of regret, that she wanted to undo what she had done? i think that april was always in this mental state of being superior and special..as she faces the reality she gets crashed ..like it haapens when we get to know that there is no santa clause ..but the situation got worse when she got to know about her husband’s affair with his collouge and that nothing was like she had planned and felt trapped …in neverlasting conventional setup..and wanted to free herself …it was an accident destined to her ..which she desparately wanted to happen to her.. All very valid possibilities and very impressive insight….if she were a real person. Leo comes home to Mrs. Potatohead and tells her that he’s been cheating on her, but it’s over. The child must die alongside the dream of escape! You completed certain nice points there. It was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1962, along with Catch-22 and The Moviegoer. Revolutionary Road is an obvious Oscar contender on many levels - Acting (lead and supporting), direction, screenplay. Even the warmest ember of his hearth! They know someone knows thier flaw, so they have to be discredited. he was a borken man in the old life i could ever deal with those circumstances! A special 75th anniversary edition of Richard Wright's powerful and unforgettable memoir, with a new foreword by John Edgar Wideman and an afterword by Malcolm Wright, the authorâs grandson. And thus, as DHenry points out, April becomes collateral damage in her abortion attempt. Thank you so much. That’s all that matters, and it builds through the story and shows her intent at the end. Needless to say, Titanic was a huge hit back in the '90s and, to this day, it is still considered one of the most romantic stories ever told on film. i viewed it as — when they sit down to have that final breakfast, Kate gives Frank one final chance to be truthful. Buy Revolutionary Road at the Guardian bookshop. It really would have been a Martha and George situation. What Yates characters are suicidal? Things go aggressively downhill from here. The setting is suburban Connecticut in the 1950s. I wouldn’t want to deal with the circumstances portrayed here. They have no concience, quite literally. Thanks ! (fam. She is emotionally true and unflinching and always works to find her heart -: he lives on stale conventional half-truths. 10/10. Such a depressing movie. Later on, her body is . That’s exactly the kind of suicide that it is, a half-measure, intentional unintentional self-destruction. “There’s nothing better than winning when you’re 100 percent authentic with yourself.”. He knew the difference between their reality and their dream. He’s unwilling to give her peace at critical moments. No way did she commit suicide. At least the author won’t have to worry about readers complaining of the book’s predictability. I think I agree with every word of this: both possibilities are tantalisingly left open. Log in or link your magazine subscription, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, John Mulaney Confirms Olivia Munn Pregnancy on, Behold, Drake’s Delightfully Unsexy ‘Way 2 Sexy’ Video, Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott Confirm Pregnancy, Elements Festival Apologizes for ‘Disappointments’ After Fyre Fest Comparisons. Thank you for your comment. In other words she futilely tries her best to say what she needs to, at the same time never finding the conviction needed in it..(Just like one cant convince himself/herself that a really red scarf is green in color, no matter how much he/she says it is..) & she even looks for that last ray of hope(she assumes it is the last one)..& when frank leaves without realising what her actual state of mind is, that last ray dies too… It is a situation of conflict with oneself & his/her thoughts where it is more required to think than to act… She chooses the latter..& in conflict, seldom is either way the right way..So action then & there is seldom desirable… The price she pays is the ultimate – her own head. Widely acclaimed as one of the finest books ever written on race and class divisions in America, this powerful novel reflects the forces of poverty, injustice, and hopelessness that continue to shape out society. But the debate that must’ve gone through her mind, is what i’m speculating on.. Let’s say she really wanted the morning to be good for them, she wanted a good life for frank n her, but she wasnt able to bring herself to do it.. It’s like what we’re made of & what we want.. Your thoughts would help but I suspect Yates intended that we could never decide. Sure Frank was excited at first, but then the realities of life smacked him in the face. This is truly the meanest part of the movie because you know these mofos aren’t moving to Paris, you just don’t know why. Even thinking of it on a warm summer’s eve, I shudder, chilled to the bone, pulling my floral cardigan tightly around my shoulders, wondering if that long shadow on the driveway is just my imagination. Kate has just bombed spectacularly as the lead in the town’s play, and Leo is like, “Yeah, that actually did suck.” To add insult to injury, Kathy Bates is their Realtor, which means this is truly a diabolical reanimation of the entire cast of Titanic, transplanting them all to a scenario that is somehow shittier than a gigantic sinking boat. I can understand Shep not wanting to talk about the Wheelers after her death, since he was secretly in love with her- What I cant get over though, is the ending with Kathy Bates and her husband. I’m sorry to tell you this, but actually, it is like Titanic, except only in the sense that it is a film primarily marked by sheer misery until one of them dies and it’s basically the other one’s fault. you name it. He’s not such a man, however, and certainly not serious about work in any real sense (except that of material and ostensible success). This is the plot of the novel Revolutionary Road, which was written by Richard Yates, and published in 1961. She had dreams of moving to Paris and Frank started backing away from that dream to live there have another kid and get his raise. She had a baby to protect. My personal take on the story is that since it is told from the perspective of Frank, you know only slightly more than he does…you are left feeling empty (ironic since living an EMPTY life was a big deal in the story) and unsatisfied that you will never know exactly what the hell was going on in her head. She didn’t love her husband. I think she was living on a high with the Paris dream, she wanted to get away (didn’t have to be Paris, could have been anywhere) and might have even looked forward to having the baby in a new home new “Way of Life” away from the stifling housewives suburban cage….when the realisation that nothing would change, that if they moved it would be to another bigger better suburban area, that she would fall in and out of love with Frank, that she would remain so desperately unhappy…she couldn’t face up to living like that any more. Hey, it could have worked, right? Congratulations on finishing your thesis! This is the last breakfast. was it to save Frank? Maybe she thought I could die, but probably not, screw it. About void life I can mention another author: Fernando Pessoa, portuguese poet. Fascinating discussion which leaves me feeling that indeed the author did intend an ambiguity reflecting the be-fogged thinking of someone in April’s situation. And yet we have Yates’s objective correlative to help position us here: ‘The cigarette broke and shredded in her fingers’. He lives because life lasts. Whatever happens please don’t blame yourself.”. This is why she aborts the baby. Or should I not read a double meaning into Shep’s reaction at the hospital–he was just devastated as he had feelings for April? April realised “…that if you wanted to do something absolutely honest, something true, it always turned out to be a thing that had to be done alone.”. You won't often get a chance to see good existentialism on the big screen. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. He cannot accept the distance that seems to her necessary and natural, so he in effect smothers her. I’m still musing on all of this and want to contrast Frank’s conviction initially that, ‘She did it to herself, Shep. Since he gives her no room for a healthy self, her self becomes ingrown and warped, and transparent to him, which she likely understands at some level is her only way of living with him. Hence, she herself is revolutionary. I don’t agree with this and feel Yates makes it as clear as he can without stating anything directly that she capitulates because she has no choice. They are very different art forms and the narratives aren’t the same. Also thankyou for printing my comment before. No clear right answer, but lots of different perspectives and opinions. Frank most likely thought this would be the best choice for them. Specifically, I'd be grateful if you could provide some guidance as to how you … I wouldn’t be surprised if he knocked her up on purpose just so he could spend the rest of his life hiding behind a maternity dress. An exploration of the possibilities of hypertext fiction as art form and entertainment The end is an act of despair, denial of her living status. Leo and Kate have another knockdown brawl, ending with Kate running into the woods and leaning against several trees for roughly eight hours straight. Their absence from the story is telling). She didn’t want to die. Thank you for taking the time to write, Heather. One scene left me confused though. Just saying, is all Great topic by the way, Thank you for taking the time to respond so fully and so sensitively to the issues, Aifric. It’s as if April is acting out a dangerous wives’ tale, and thus the book both begins and ends with a performance. Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Scenes include a range of film genres, including emotional dramas like "Training Day," and "Revolutionary Road" as well as classic comedies like "Mean Girls," "Bridesmaids," and "Honeymoon in Vegas." Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. When the movie Revolutionary Road came out in 2008, fans couldn't wait to see another Winslet-DiCaprio love story. Revision and Self-Editing for Publication, Second Edition gives you the tools and advice you need to transform your first draft into a finished manuscript that agents and editors will fight for. She never wanted to be pregnant, she never wanted this life. I know DeWitt Henry has been teaching Yates at Emerson College in Boston and I know he is being taught at Ipswich School in the UK and at Sherborne School also in the UK but you will agree that that is hardly proof of anything. I did a search on the subject matter and found most folks will have the same opinion with your blog. He clearly says she always speaks so fondly of them during their first visit over, and she looks devestated when Paris is mentioned. You say she futilely tries to say what she needs to – and I realise you don’t mean that in the literal sense – but where do you find that attempt? I think saving Frank is the more likely.’ I have pondered this a lot and maybe you’re right, that it was to save Frank from making the awful discovery. If you are a student (or a teacher) and have been dropping in on my blog, could you let me know what your school is (wherever it is): the name, the place and what you have been studying in the way of Yates. I just happened upon this wonderful movie 1/7/2014 10 PM Central Time HBO . Ever since its first publication in 1992, The End of History and the Last Man has provoked controversy and debate. 'Revolutionary Road,' considered the original anti-suburban novel, isn't actually anti-suburbs—but something far more devastating than that.The novel of suburban malaise has been in fashion for . So does the neighbour with whom she had sex in car. But that is assuming April herself really wanted to act the way she does..She does act, we know that. That’s what makes Frank strong and brave. Voiced by: Tomoko Kawakami (Japanese), Rachael Lillis (English), Carola Vázquez (Latin American Spanish) The protagonist and namesake of the series, Utena Tenjou is a 14-year-old girl whose parents died when she was little. It makes me feel that maybe, what she did wasnt what she set out to do…, & by the way the funny thing about debates is if either party speaks with conviction, thinking he/she is right, & Close. Pity him who is happy! I think that April knowingly took her own life. And I don’t think Kate’s character would abort and hope to, or as a means to, die. Revolutionary Road, his latest movie, reunites the two stars of Titanic, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, and presents the story of American-style suburban ennui and despair that can settle… Used music is April from Revolutionary Road soundtrack. I loved it, even as I could feel it permanently altering the wiring of my brain. She knew she didn’t love him anymore and did want to move any farther down the road with him. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. But as he gets deeper into the mystery - culminating in another awesome road trip across America - he becomes less sure of who and what he is looking for.Masterfully written by John Green, this is a thoughtful, insightful and hilarious ... The last morning when she makes Frank breakfast you can tell she is fighting an internal battle. Or a deliberate and well-placed attempt to point up the instability of all claims to truth, whether in realist writing or any other form? He’s a man looking for a calm place to settle down, she’s looking for a constant change.. A long shot is then shown of April entering the house again, and the scene ends, but the story then continues with how she carries out her abortion leading to the overwhelming resolution of the film. It provides me with nightmare fuel to this day. Helen serves Howard tea. The film follows Frank (DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Winslet), a mid-1950s couple . Good in the Reader -- performance of a lifetime in RR. -- John Lennon "Revolutionary Road" shows the American Dream awakened by a nightmare. She prepares a farewell breakfast (or is it invested with the hope that a new beginning is about to start? Very bad idea…, I havent read the book, but I watched the movie. Great idea for a post. In the woods she makes her final decision, and at breakfast she is resolved and calm , knowing what she must choose. The scene where Shep and his wife come back to the house and Shep reveals that he thinks the Wheelers plan to move to Paris is unrealistic . Or is it out of just plain outrage at her speaking like that, that he cant listen to her, so he tunes it out? SPOILERS!! isn’t always targeted at first but often get it anyway as default.) The film was released on November 4, 2005, by . he ending of a novel is often where it seems most artificial. But in a society where zigging with the crowd is important, Frank and April zag. After being shown the first cut of Revolutionary Road, Alan Ball apparently wanted to stab Sam Mendes with a fork. Both Kate and Leo yearn to break free of their claustrophobic existence (“We’ve resigned to the ridiculous idea that you have to settle down once you have children!” says Kate, desperate for a change) and for a brief period in the middle of the movie, they decide to, planning to move their family to Paris so Leo can figure out what he wants to do with his life. Many thanks for your contribution. He received a promotion (even if that wasn’t his intention) and he realized that his first obligation is to provide for his family. Week four: the ending. In his mind he was going to have three children, a wife and a home and dreams weren’t going to pay the bills. In the book she leaves the number of the hospital next to the phone before she performs the procedure. I didn’t realize til’ afterwards exactly what this was (having an english major mother she would have had my hide! From the dirt and danger of a coal mine to the glittering chandeliers of a palace, from the corridors of power to the bedrooms of the mighty, Fall of Giants takes us into the inextricably entangled fates of five familiesâand into a ... Does Shep think that the baby that April aborted was his? More than the primeval law: There is a lot of jittery cigarette smoking and sloshed-down booze in "Revolutionary Road," a waxworks . She was hurt when her husband insinuated that she didn’t. Thank you for the reply kate.. Yup I don’t mean it in the literal sense. My feelings after watching the film are that April has chosen to stay trapped in the gilded cage of marriage on her own unbending terms! I think she knew 100% that she couldn’t handle another child . I am posting your comment to show how confused people can become when they write about the film rather than the novel. I think saving Frank is the more likely. Sam Mendes (& the screenplay writer, camera operators, editors etc) are all creating layers of distance from an original, different story. April aborted the baby because she is selfish. 253. . Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. Found insideAs turbulent and electrified as the period itâs set in, The Glass Forest is an âintoxicating slow burn [that] builds to a conclusion rife with shocking reveals.â (Publishers Weekly) Yet he rubbishes that dream too…. Happy with his life, Yates–and his character April–was aware of other ways to abort the baby, but the specific choice, which included isolation and the impossibility of getting help, shows the clear intention. I’m late to this discussion, but I just watched the movie and then read the book. So the author leaves us with a similar sense of frustration as Frank felt. In the midst of the Paris planning, Kathy Bates brings her son Michael Shannon over for lunch, explaining that he’s on a brief recess from a stay in the local mental hospital and she thought Leo and Kate might cheer him up. I don’t think she cared one way or the other. The person is pretty much dead anyway. Additionally her note to Frank said ‘whatever happens don’t blame yourself’ which seems to leave open the possibility that she might survive. She is signalling compliance and acceptance with her shy smile; we know neither is true but she doesn’t want him to know because she wants to prevent inquiry. Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac in "Scenes From a Marriage". Well, my journey towards my first goal is all but over; having handed in my thesis in February and had my Viva in May (in the UK everyone has to have a Viva), and having passed, I will graduate in July. April is taking out the trash and doing the laundry in her apron, looking forlornly out her picture window onto the crabgrass. Byun Hyuk begins to live in an studio in a poor area. I am sure that if Frank had decided to have the baby in Paris she would have been happy with that decision. On one hand she does love Frank and wants to be able to be happy with their life, but on the other hand she is begging him to give her a sign that there is hope and she is not alone. he/she really is, it finally depends on how they make it sound.. On a lower plane the views may sound different but on a higher plane most of them merge & are derivatives of a basic truth.. Something which’s also expressed in one of jeff arch’s short stories, ‘the expert witness’…may of may not be the case here though.. Though I feel like she wasn’t thinking at all when she done it. I am neither a student or a teacher although I enjoyed studying literature in my student days. You don’t have to live in the suburbs.”, Already a subscriber? I do believe that she knew there were risks involved. People live on thinking that if there’s a way, irrespective of what the signs are, the way will come, someday… That’s what life’s about. The movie was directed by James Cameron and won an Academy Award for Best Picture. As an actress she was deeply emotional ( I think her emotions overwhelmed her, she found it difficult to manage/regulate her impulsive behaviours)..and looking back on the book/movie might it be relevant to suggest she was suffering from some sort of mental illness, something like bi-polar? I believe she also mourns the loss of her baby before she acts upon her decision. As DeWitt says, who would she have been had she lived? “It is for him. If she survived she would be in a position to move on with her life. there was emotional and poignant feelings in this film.